The Gift of Books

Looking for "book" related gifts to give for new babies or for toddler birthdays - and here are two "new" ideas.
First of all - Jennifer Black Reinhardt's Always by My Side is a great book to share the love of a stuffie.  In this book it is a polka-dot dino but it could be any favorite stuffie that goes with a cuddly blanket.  Try these giraffe blankets and this plush giraffe.  And you have a stuffie package to go with Always by My Side.

Find the giraffe blanket and such at  https://www.etsy.com/listing/714199664/blankets-books-purple-giraffe-blanket.  And the book Always by My Side at your local bookstore.

Reinhardt, Jennifer Black. Always By My Side. Random House Books for Young Readers, 2021. ISBN: 9780593173824.  The second package is for all lover of nature.  Package Elizabeth Rusch's and Will Hillenbrand's newest title, Zee Grows a Tree with a sapling (or perhaps a plant) to grow side-by-side the new baby or from a baby's first (or subsequent) birthday.

Rusch, Elizabeth and Hillenbrand, Will.  Zee Grows a Tree. Penguin/Random House, 2021.

View the book trailer at https://spark.adobe.com/page/GcJNFVmdtqWkk/

And perhaps package with a blanket in a favorite tree/floral pattern. 
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Cite this blog:  McElmeel, Sharron. (2021, March 24). The Gift of Books (blog). http://bit.ly/giftofbooks-1

 Visit Greenfroggifts on Etsy 

Irish - Green Mint Chocolate Cake

Irish - Green Mint Chocolate Cake

Green Frog Gifts loves anything green -- and this green mint chocolate cake is a great dessert to serve for St. Patrick's Day.  Simple as pie - well simple as cake.

 

Prepare cake mix as directed.  Substitute 1/4 cup of Creme de Menthe for 1/4 cup of the required water.   Add the oil and eggs as directed.

Optional: If you like a chocolately chunk component (and I do).  Take 3 Hershey's chocolate bars and chop them up.  Put into the batter and stir.

Bake and cool the cake.

Now for the topping - once the cake has cooled you will want to spread on the hot fudge layer.  Since the fudge is so thick I usually warm it in the microwave before spreading on the cake.
It'll still be warm on the cake so I stick the entire cake with the fudge layer into the freezer while I flavor the whipped topping.









I add a tablespoon or so of Creme deMenthe to the whipped topping and stir.  Add green food coloring if you want a deeper shade of green.

Cut the Andes mints into random chunks.

Spread the green Creme deMenthe flavored whipped topping on the cake over the fudge layer.  Randomly drop the Andes mints onto the top of the cake.

Serve with ice cream.

Enjoy every crumb.

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Cite this blog post:
McElmeel, Sharron. (2021, March 6). Irish - Green Mint Chocolate Cake. Green Frog Gifts (blog). https://bit.ly/GFG-cake

 Visit Greenfroggifts on Etsy 

Cool Chicks - Blanket, Books, and a Stuffie (and a few cookies)

 Cool Chicks

Bynum, Janie.  Chick Chat. Simon & Schuster, 2021.

McGehee, Claudia. Where Do Birds Live? University of Iowa Press, 2010.

Stemple, Heidi E.Y. Counting Birds: The Idea That Helped Save Our Feathered Friends.  Illustrated by Robin Clover. Seagrass Press, 2018.

The 100% cotton flannel fabric for the blanket is from Robert Kaufman, designed by Ann Kelle. White background with green, blue, pink, and yellow birds.  Kaufman Urban Zoologies Flannel Birds Wild Fabric.

Backing is rose colored minky rosette pattern.

The stuffie is an adaptation of a pattern from AGASHE on Etsy.
https://www.etsy.com/shop/AGASHE

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Then turn your attention to the kitchen and create some cool chick cookies.

Cool Chick Cookies
Make a few dozen and prepare friendship plates for all the cool chicks in your life.  Festive plate, 6 cookies, and a note telling your friend what a cool chick they are.
Plan ahead you may need more than the 50 eyeballs as each cookie needs 2; if you have left overs they will also come into play when you want to make a Gobbler Chocolate Cookie or two (See Thanksgiving post).

Read abouts stuffies:

McElmeel, Sharron. (2021, February 26). Stuffies - Always There. Green Frog Gifts (Blog). http://bit.ly/stuffies102

Cite this blog post:
McElmeel, Sharron. (2021, March 3). Cool Chicks - Blanket, Books, and a Stuffie (and a few cookies) (Blog). http://bit.ly/coolchicks-birdbooks

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Green Frog Gifts -- unique gifts -- sewing and cooking

https://www.etsy.com/shop/GreenFrogGifts